At only six-years-old, Virginia girl Lori Anne Madison has become the youngest person to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in its entire 87-year history. Madison began reading at the age of two and has been taught at home by her professor mother since being told that she was too "advanced to attend" her school's gifted program. Having competed in spelling bees since the age of 3, she is approaching Scripps with confidence and hopes to walk away with at least one trophy. When asked how she feels about going up against a group of contestants who, on average, are about twice here age, Lori Anne responded, "I am not scared. Definitely not scared."

What were you doing when you were six? Learning to spell words like "train" and…
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In addition to her spelling accomplishments, Lori Anne is an avid swimmer who hopes to one day compete in the Olympics, after which she'll retire to a simple life as a astrobiologist.

You can tune into the Scripps National Spelling Bee throughout the week on ESPN 2 and 3. It's like the playoffs for those of us who hate watching sports, but love watching homeschooled kids get really really excited.